The first thing you notice about Demaryius Thomas is the crisp navy blue suit and perfectly trimmed hair. Then you notice the smile that never fades. If anyone could look the part of a $70 million player, it was Thomas on Friday.

But while he may have a bigger — much bigger — contract, he’s carrying around a smaller frame.

The Broncos’ star receiver, who held out of the team’s offseason workouts during his contract negotiations, returned to Denver slimmer and faster. For much of the last few months, he’s been in Atlanta, continuing to rehabilitate the ankle he injured last December and training twice daily.

After playing last season around 228-229 pounds, Thomas said he’s now down to 222.

Demaryius Thomas signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Broncos on Wednesday. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Demaryius Thomas signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Broncos that included $43.5 million in guaranteed money. A big chunk of that — $35 million — will come in the first two seasons of the deal, with his $11 million signing bonus, a $6.5 million roster bonus in 2015 and $17.5 million in salary over 2015 and 2016.

Thomas will receive $14 million in annual salary, tying him with Dallas’ Dez Bryant as the second-highest paid receivers in the NFL. Detroit’s Calvin Johnson earns the most, at $16.2 million. Thomas ranks third among receivers in guaranteed money, behind Johnson ($53.3 million) and Bryant ($45 million).

The Broncos’ quarterback beat out Devin Hester, for career runback touchdowns; Lauren Chamberlain, for NCAA softball home runs; and Warriors guard Klay Thompson, for points in a quarter, to receive the award.

“I’m truly blessed to be able to play the game of football,” Manning said, “and I humbly accept this award.”Read more…

Demaryius Thomas agreed to a five-year, $70 million contract with the Broncos. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

After months of waiting and negotiating, Demaryius Thomas finally got his money — the most of any Broncos receiver in history.

Minutes before the NFL’s 2 p.m. deadline Wednesday, the Broncos and their star receiver agreed on a five-year, $70 million contract that included $43.5 million guaranteed.

The deal was finalized just minutes after Dez Bryant and the Cowboys reached a five-year, $70 million deal ($45 million guaranteed). The new contracts make Bryant and Thomas the second- and third-highest paid receivers in the NFL, respectively, behind Detroit’s Calvin Johnson.

Johnson, who had been the benchmark in negotiations for Bryant and Thomas over the last few months, signed a seven-year, $113 million extension with the Lions in 2012 ($16.2 million annually) that included a whopping $52.4 million guaranteed. He retains the top spot among the league’s highest-earning receivers.

After Thomas and Bryant agreed to their new contracts Wednesday, many players — as well as Broncos general manager John Elway — took to Twitter to congratulate the two:

Thrilled to reach a long-term deal with Demaryius. He is one of the NFL’s top WRs & will continue to be a big part of the Broncos' success!!

Broncos safety T.J. Ward was left off the NFL’s top 100 list. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The Broncos’ secondary didn’t need any more motivation for 2015. But their fellow players just provided them plenty.

Safety T.J. Ward and cornerbacks Chris Harris and Aqib Talib were all left off the NFL’s 2015 top 100, a list voted on by their fellow players.

“I was talking to Talib about the upcoming season and how they left all three of us off the top 100, so we have a little chip on our shoulders,” Ward said Monday at his foundation’s celebrity golf tournament in Aurora. “We didn’t appreciate that. And that’s from our peers.”

The Broncos’ quarterback and surefire hall of famer is back in Louisiana this weekend for the 20th annual Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State. During a question-and-answer session with the campers Thursday, Peyton, a quarterback who isn’t exactly known for his blazing speed, was asked about its importance at the position.

As if his career alone wasn’t enough proof, Peyton told the campers some tales from his high school days to further emphasize his point, that speed isn’t vital if you can compensate in other areas.

According to Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune, Peyton recounted the time he and Eli ran 40-yard dashes at the Tulane Football Camp. Peyton, then a senior at Isidore Newman School and a Green Wave recruit, said he was told he ran a 4.88-second 40.

“I’m pretty sure that was (then Tulane coach) Buddy Teevens just doing some good recruiting. I probably ran about a 5.1,” Peyton said, jokingly. As for Eli, the youngest kid in the camp as a 7th-grader, well, he ran a 6.2, according to Peyton. Still joking, obviously.

Peyton also told the campers of an earlier time in his high school career when he and Cooper, as well as two brothers from nearby St. Martin’s School, worked with a speed coach. After a month, they were timed in the 40 to see if they had made any progress.Read more…

Per Mullen’s sources, France, who re-acquired Five Star Athletes from Terry Pegula in September 2014 after selling it to him in 2011, has started to tell his clients that he will be joining CAA Sports as early as August.

Here’s the thing about Peyton Manning: His “off” seasons are great seasons for most quarterbacks. And his peers know it.

The 39-year-old Broncos quarterback was voted by his fellow NFL players as the fifth-best player in the league last season, behind Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray.

Last season Manning completed 395 of 597 attempts (66.2 percent) for 4,727 yards, 15 interceptions and 39 touchdowns. Against the 49ers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, he made history (again), surpassing Brett Favre to become the NFL’s all-time passing touchdown leader with No. 509. He finished the season with 530 career regular-season TDs.

But the second half of the season failed to match the first as he dealt with a quad injury, and the Broncos struggled with their offensive line and began to rely more on their run game.Read more…

The Broncos quarterback’s No. 18 was the most sought-after jersey during the 2014-15 season at Dick’s Sporting Goods in the Mount Rushmore State, as well as Colorado (obviously), Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, according to the retail chain’s Jersey Report.

Former Broncos linebacker and current ESPN analyst Tom Jackson was named the 2015 winner of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award for his “longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.” Jackson will be recognized during the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2015 enshrinement ceremony on Aug. 8.

Jackson, a Cleveland, Ohio, native, joined ESPN in 1987 following a 14-year NFL career with the Broncos. In 2009, he won a Sports Emmy in the Outstanding Studio Analyst category and, for more than 25 years, has teamed with Chris Berman on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown.”

Antonio Gates, center, was suspended four games without pay. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

The start of the 2015 NFL season will be played without a number of familiar faces after the NFL on Thursday handed out a string of suspensions to players who violated its substance abuse policy.

Four players, including veteran tight end Antonio Gates, were suspended without pay ahead of the holiday.

Gates, who was hit with a four-game ban for PEDs, blamed the positive test on “supplements and holistic medicines” he used to recover from last season. Gates released a statement on Twitter on Thursday in response:

“In my 12 years in the NFL, I have taken tremendous pride in upholding the integrity of the NFL shield and all that it entails. I have taken extreme care of my body with a holistic approach and I have never knowingly ingested a substance that was banned by the NFL. In an effort to recover from this past season, I used supplements and holistic medicines, and unfortunately, I have now learned that those substances always present a risk because they may contain banned substances even if the ingredient list doesn’t reflect them. As an NFL veteran and team leader, I should have done my due diligence to ensure that what I was taking for recovery was within the NFL guidelines. I understand that I am responsible for what is in my body and I have always believed that ignorance is no excuse when it comes to these issues. I take full responsibility for my actions. I’d like to express my sincere apologies to the Chargers, my teammates, coaches, fans and the league who have always supported me and expected and gotten nothing but the highest level of integrity from me.”

Thomas caught 111 receptions for a career-best 1,1619 yards — second in the NFL behind only Antonio Brown — with 11 touchdowns. He also set a Broncos record with 10 games of 100-plus yards receiving and was named to his third Pro Bowl.

The Broncos used their franchise tag on Thomas this offseason, guaranteeing him $12.82 million for one year.

But Thomas is holding out for more.

He sat out the offseason workout program and could miss training camp if a long-term deal isn’t agreed upon by the NFL’s July 15 deadline.

Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, who also received his team’s franchise tag and has also held out of workouts as they negotiate a long-term deal, was ranked No. 15 on the top 100 list.

It’s the story of every summer, and it’s not one that sits well with Duke Ihenacho, the former Bronco and current Redskins safety. Ihenacho took to Twitter on Wednesday to call out the NFL for its contracts that are not fully guaranteed, part of the collective bargaining agreement that was ratified by the NFL Players Association.

Ihenacho’s take:

All this guaranteed money NBA throwing. Meanwhile the NFL, which generates the most money wont even make the league minimum $1M

It’s been more than four years since Brett Favre retired (for the last time) from the NFL. But in an interview with Sports Illustrated for its annual “Where are they now?” issue, the former quarterback said he felt he could still play in the league — even at 45.

“I think I could play,” Favre said. “As far as throwing. Of course, we’re not trying to start some he’s-coming-out-of-retirement deal.

“Do I think I could play and lead a team? Look, no. But I could play. I could make all the throws I made before, I just couldn’t throw it near as far, but that never matters anyway.”

Favre, who appears on the magazine’s cover wearing his Packers jersey, told SI’s Greg Bishop that he can still throw 50 yards.Read more…

Peyton Manning’s break before the start of training camp got off to a special start this week.

In Knoxville for the 18th annual Peyton Manning Golf Classic to raise money for his PeyBack Foundation and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Manning was serenaded by a 4-year-old boy who already knew his favorite song.

“Although our single-game ticket inventory is extremely limited, we are introducing a variable pricing format like many NFL teams to maximize the options and value for our fans,” Broncos senior vice president of business development, Mac Freeman, said in a release.

Tickets will range in price from $25 to $435 and will be available for purchase via Ticketmaster, either by phone (800-745-3000), online (Ticketmaster.com) or at local Ticketmaster outlets.

Peyton Manning has a long history of quietly interacting with his fans, sending letters or autographed memorabilia to strangers who have for years rooted for him from the stands or from the comfort of their couch.

The latest kind gesture by the Broncos’ quarterback: a birthday gift to the family of one of his fans in Indiana who was killed earlier this year by a drunk driver.

Logan Brown, 15, was killed in March after a collision with another man whose blood-alcohol content was four times the legal limit. Brown’s grandmother, Gayle Ricketts, penned a letter to Manning to share Logan’s story and to tell Manning how much her grandson followed him and how big of a role Manning played in his life.

On Tuesday, which would have been Logan’s 16th birthday, Manning mailed a handwritten letter and a signed photo of himself with the Denver Broncos’ logo and the message “In memory of Logan Allen Brown,” according to a report by 14 News in Evansville, Ind..

Peyton Manning sent a birthday gift to a fan who died in a car crash. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.